Box of cassettes

Yesterday I was cleaning out the garage and I found an old box of videos, DVD's and a shoebox of cassettes. For those of you that were born later than the 90's you may not even know what they are...

Anyway in this shoebox lives the first 20 cassette tapes I made as a rookie Spinning® instructor. Back in the day when I was young, free and single and nothing to do with my time, I was even more OCD than now.

On the spine of each cassette I have the profile of the ride photocopied and reduced so it would fit. They are laminated and on the inside I have the profile in detail with times and heart rates.

If you asked me to tell you anything about these rides off the top of my head I couldn't really remember where or when I was when I created them. But as soon as I played one a flood of memories washed over me. Flashbacks of people, places, events and rides. Memories of me as a 24 year old just as eager to deliver the message as I am today.

Listening back through these tapes took me down a wonderful nostalgic trip. Although my music taste has definitely evolved and changed since then, I can still appreciate the plan and purpose I had for each ride.

It is rather amazing that nearly 15 years ago I was doing the exact same thing I am doing now and yet still so excited and thrilled with every class I teach. That is exceptionally unusual. There are not too many things you can say that about - especially not when it comes to fitness programs.

As I sat on my garage floor, clunking my way through these tapes on an old tape recorder I was re visiting so many adventures that I had not thought of in years -riding with Johnny at our Camp at the first WSSC; meeting people from countries I had never visited; sharing stories of love, heartache and fear with people who days before were strangers. Now 15 years later they remain to be some of my closest friends even though we live worlds apart.

What we do, the people we meet, the message we share, the jobs we have is so uniquely divine and special I shudder to think how boring and empty and lonely my life would have been if I hadn’t jumped on the Spinning® train.

It has been an epic and amazing journey and each day continues to get better. It has shaped my life, made me the person I am today. If I am brave and courageous in my athletic and daily pursuits it is because of the people that I have crossed paths with because of this program.

To anybody that is not involved with us here would read this and think I'm possibly a little bit odd...And I possibly may be to them. But to the people that matter and the people I love are the ones that understand what we do and the blessing that it is.

We are not just PT's or group exercise instructors. We are Spinning® people! That in itself has endless possibilities with how it can impact your life through connecting with others and how you can impact their lives through your dedication and drive to help them.

One of the original shirts that were released over 15 years ago and the message to me has never changed. As Johnny use to say

"Find the champion within!"

That's what I was trying to do back then with my box of tapes and what I try to still do today...for my riders and for myself.